The Weeknd is proof that more R&B artists are better off going Pop

[Carlton Banks]

R&B has been a dying genre for awhile now. Now someone's gonna say "how?" and list all these current R&B artists today. Problem is those artists aren't making any real money. At least not enough to support large tours, profitable sales, longevity, etc.

There's a reason why SZA, Bryson Tiller, Ella Mai, Jorja Smith, The Internet, etc have either a) haven't dropped an album in years , b) have huge years gaps between their album, c) only drop singles and not albums, d) mostly get heard on features.

We all love Trilogy Abel, but he wouldn't make the same kind of money and get the same level of fame doing that anymore. It's when he started making Can't Feel My Face, Earned It and Starboy is when he really started taking off.



Personally I don't see anything wrong with R&B artists abandoning the genre and infiltrating another... That's what white people did with Rock. If artists like Tinashe, Jhene, and the others I mentioned in the list did more pop records their careers would be through the roof. It just feels like talent gone to waste.

 

[Carlton Banks]

@YaThreadFloppedB!

 

[Spiritual Stratocaster]

Took a minute for him though.

His fans kept christening him the new MJ yet would bytch about him not keeping his old sound.

Props to Abel saying fukk it and forcing them fans to either stay on the wave or hop the fukk off.

 

[Wildhundreds]

R&B isn't dying breh..

The artists just aren't good anymore..

 

[Kiyoshi-Dono]

R&B has been a dying genre for awhile now. Now someone's gonna say "how?" and list all these current R&B artists today. Problem is those artists aren't making any real money. At least not enough to support large tours, profitable sales, longevity, etc.

There's a reason why SZA, Bryson Tiller, Ella Mai, Jorja Smith, The Internet, etc have either a) haven't dropped an album in years , b) have huge years gaps between their album, c) only drop singles and not albums, d) mostly get heard on features.

We all love Trilogy Abel, but he wouldn't make the same kind of money and get the same level of fame doing that anymore. It's when he started making Can't Feel My Face, Earned It and Starboy is when he really started taking off.



Personally I don't see anything wrong with R&B artists abandoning the genre and infiltrating another... That's what white people did with Rock. If artists like Tinashe, Jhene, and the others I mentioned in the list did more pop records their careers would be through the roof. It just feels like talent gone to waste.

None of these artist are traditional R&B
Especially Abel
Trilogy was all over the place sonically
Just like Kissland
Do you listen to music
Or
Just skim through it
Once you have seen
SZA, Bryson Tiller live
Both them muthafukkas can’t sing for shyt
Jorja is just eye candy
Ella Mai (see SZA/Bryson Tiller)
And The Internet has never been traditional
Being that they came out of OFWG
Frank, Tyler and all them cats use
Funk
Jazz
Electronica
Synthesizers
Live instrumentation
Which are all art forms black people created
So your examples are terrible
Now if you said Usher
When he went on that little pop journey
I could see your point
Even though a black man was the most successful pop artist ever
But I digress
Just because a genre ain’t poppin in your eyes
Or
To the masses
Doesn’t mean good r&b artist aren’t out there
nikka just love to complain
That’s it

 

[JLova]

Son got fire for days though.

 

[African Peasant]

RnB is dead.

Just wait for a new generation to bring it back.

 

[PortCityProphet]

Another short nikka running thangs.

Yall WILL BOW!
BEND THE KNEE MUTHAfukkAS AND SEE US EYE TO EYE

#shortgang

 

[Carlton Banks]

R&B isn't dying breh..

The artists just aren't good anymore..

Alina Baraz
Sabrina Claudio
H.E.R.
Arin Ray

 

[L@CaT]

Abel could be the Michael Jackson of the era if he knew how to dance. Abel Music with Bruno Mars Dancing skills would change the world.

 

[Wildhundreds]

Alina Baraz
Sabrina Claudio
H.E.R.
Arin Ray

Thats all you got?

I can name 90s back up singers that are light years better..

 

[Killer Instinct]

Weeknd was never R&B.

Like, ever. He was ascending around the same time as Miguel, who was always championed as the traditional R&B guy out of the pair. Weeknd had a unique sound that was very alternative to what was considered typical R&B, and he spawned many imitiations (JMSN's 'Priscilla ' being one of the more noteable efforts.)


I loved the HoB era.

Remember when no one was sure what the guy even looked like. Remember waiting for the Thursday mixtape to drop, back when all dude did was drop one liners and the link to the tape on Twitter. Downloaded it & EoS the second it dropped on those respective nights... (shoutout to the dedication over at KTT.)


I even enjoyed KissLand mostly, even though it wasn't up to the quality of the trilogy to me. He lost me when he went pop, but I wasn't mad. Breh blessed the game with the Trilogy. Those tapes have went nowhere. As long as nobody is being hurt, make your money. Very few artist have extended windows to maximize profit in the industry. Get yours while you can. He dropped House of Balloons. He can make all the tracks with Arianna Grande he wants.

 

[010101]

he was never r&b proper*

 

[Carlton Banks]

Thats all you got?

I can name 90s back up singers that are light years better..

Name em

 

[Kairi Irving]

Abel could be the Michael Jackson of the era if he knew how to dance. Abel Music with Bruno Mars Dancing skills would change the world.

He always reminded me of MJ

If he made songs similar to

Hold On, We're Going Home (I think this was his song first)

One Of Those Nights (this track is timeless)

He'd be MJ level, the energy of those songs and his voice gives off a funky MJ vibe